Menorah Lighting Prayers: Hanukkah/Chanukah

Rabbinic Jewish PrayersBlessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us to light Hanukah lights.Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, ah-sher kid-shah-nu b’mitz-voh-tayv v’tzee-vah-nu l’had-leek ner shel Hanukah.

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days at this season.Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-ah-sah ni-seem la-ah-vo-tay-nu ba-ya-meem ha-hem baz-man ha-zeh.

Messianic Jewish PrayersBlessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us holidays, customs, and times of happiness, to increase the knowledge of God and to build us up in our most holy faith.Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, ah-sher nah-tan lah-nu cha-gim, min-ha-gim, oo-mo-ah-dim l’sim-cha, l’hag-deel et da-at Adonai, v’liv-not oh-tah-nu b’emunah ki-do-shah v’na-ah-lah.

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days at this season.Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-ah-sah ni-seem la-ah-vo-tay-nu ba-ya-meem ha-hem baz-man ha-zeh.

Additional prayer on the first night (both Rabbinic and Messianic)Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who granted us life, sustained us and permitted us to reach this season.Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-he-che-yanu v’kee-ma-nu v’hi-gee-ah-nu laz-man ha-zeh.

The candles are lit from right to left. The first candle is placed on the right side of the Menorah, and the second one placed directly to the left. But lighting them starts from the left and moves to the right. Thus the first candle that is lit is the new candle added for that day. The Shamash candle (the tallest) is used to light the others.

The only candle that has a truly deeper significance is the Shamash. This candle is symbolic of Jesus, who came to be a servant, bringing light into the world, and then took His place, once again above the others. Philippians 2:6-10 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

However, we absolutely can find scriptural significancefor each candle being lit each night! These are simply my selections. You might find other scriptures that speak to you each night.First:Genesis 1:3-4And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated between the light and between the darkness.Second:Exodus 13:21-22 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to cause it to lead them on the way and at night in a pillar of fire to give them light, [they thus could] travel day and night. He did not move away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire at night [from] before the people.Third:Psalm 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; from whom shall I be frightened?Fourth:Psalm 119:105Your words are a lamp for my foot, and light for my path.Fifth:Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shone upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a gross darkness the kingdoms, and the Lord shall shine upon you, and His glory shall appear over you. And nations shall go by your light and kings by the brilliance of your shine.Sixth:Proverbs 15:24The path of life is above the intelligent person, in order that he turn away from the grave below.Seventh:Daniel 12:3And the wise will shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who bring the multitudes to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.Eighth:Isaiah 25:8He has concealed death forever, and the Lord God shall wipe the tears off every face, and the shame of His people He shall remove from upon the entire earth, for the Lord has spoken.